Egan's grit, Pippo's drive: a perfect Sunday

He says and lets out a laugh that the drilling was designed to add a little spice to the time trial. But then Ganna becomes serious again and explains that at that moment his stomach tightened a little, because he didn't have the gaps and knew he had a small advantage over Affini. Then, however, on this perfect Sunday, the team was fantastic in changing his bike, so much so that David Braisford commented that they could give lessons to Mercedes' chief mechanic on how to make a pit stop.

Party night at home Ineos, Milan is seething with Colombian fans and, like last year, the celebrations bear the colours of the British team.In place of Tao's freckles, there's Bernal's Indian smile, while Ganna's big, infectious smile is still the same. If anything, with a hint of extra tiredness at the sides of the mouth.

«Compared to last year - He says - the kilometers at the head of the group were four times as manyWe protected Egan, we were a team, and the Giro was beautiful, even with the fans in attendance, to whom we must thank. Some people criticized me because I wasn't very helpful on the climbs and seemed sullen. I apologize, but put yourself in our shoes., if we don't feel like joking about the final climb of the 19th stage...".

You've been talking about protecting Egan since the start of the Giro. Can you tell us what kind of relationship you've developed with him?

It's small, but underneath it all it has two… attributes that many others lack. It brought us morale and gave us a lot of determination, when we heard him say on the radio, "Toso, I'm fine!" Like the day of the fans climbing the Sibillini mountains. Someone weighing 84 kilos like me shouldn't even have been there on those climbs, but I had fire inside me.. In those days I spent a lot, so much so that yesterday while I was shooting, he came right next to me and he told me: "Captain, think about tomorrow, let go a bit.".

Great sensitivity…

There is a good atmosphere in this team, If I didn't feel comfortable, I wouldn't have renewed for another three years.Of course, racing like this Giro is exhausting. Especially in the 200-kilometer stages, designed for sprinters, when the sprinters stay at the back of the pack and don't show their team. It's always been the pink jersey, but when after 21 stages you see your captain lift that trophy, everything goes awayAnd you're ready for 2022. But I've also gone to his room a few times...

To tell him what?

"Captain, have fun. Do the things you enjoy and think will help you win. Run as you want, don't worry." If Bernal can run free with his head, guys, there is none for anyone.

We're here talking about Bernal, but you've won another time trial. How do you stay focused and still find the desire to improve?

There are many aspects to focus on, athletic and technologicalFausto Pinarello is already developing new features, and there's constant progress that's allowing for better results. For my part, I can and must continue training. having high values ​​and keeping the engine clean and rust-freeLet's talk about Egan, but I swear I'm happy with the pink jersey and also with the stage.

The cancelled European Championships in Belarus will probably be relocated to Lithuania and Denmark, but if they weren't there, how would you manage to get to the Olympics?

We will have to focus on the fact that training sessions are also an important phase and that the times we make between us, trying to beat each other, have the same dignity as a competition. The support of the public will be missing, but We will have to arrive in Tokyo with the certainty of having done our best.

So what's the plan now?

We'll end Sunday with a party. Rest. Then, up the mountain. I will have to contact Villa about the track and those intense workouts that cannot be done on the road.Then we'll probably race a stage race with the national team in Sardinia in July. It starts on Wednesday with a retreat, the rest will come by itself.